Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV and AIDS

Overview

This lesson focuses on learning about sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS, the most common methods of transmission, and the best way to prevent and reduce the risk of infection.

Learning Targets

  • Identify how STDs are spread.
  • Discuss the best ways to prevent and reduce the risk of infection from an STD.
  • Analyze why it is important for children to get the HPV shot.
  • Recognize the short- and long-term consequences of STDs.
  • Explain how HIV and AIDS are connected.
  • Describe how HIV is transmitted and what it does to the immune system.
  • Identify how PrEP, PEP, and ART are currently being used to reduce and treat HIV.

Preparation

For the Warm-Up Activity: Write the journal question on the board or identify (and copy as needed) the worksheets you plan to use.

For the Content Focus: Open the Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV and AIDS PowerPoint slides or make copies of the Note-Taking Guide.

For the Lesson Focus: Copy the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.

Warm-Up Activity

Select a warm-up activity to help get your class focused and on task.

  • Journal Question: Write out what HIV and AIDS stand for. What do you know or think you know about HIV and AIDS?
    • Option: Write or project the question and have students respond in their journals as they enter class.
    • Option: Have students discuss the question with a partner or in a small group.
  • Vocabulary Review: Have students work individually, in pairs, or in small groups to complete the Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV and AIDS Vocabulary Review Worksheet.
  • Quiz: Have students complete the Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Including HIV and AIDS Quiz to assess their prior knowledge.
    • Option: Collect the quiz and use it alongside a posttest to demonstrate student learning.
    • Option: Have students share their answers with a partner and then go over the answers together as a class.

Lesson Content

Review the content from the textbook lesson.

Lesson Focus: Communication: Preventing the Spread of STDs

  1. Provide each student a copy of the Skill-Building Challenge Worksheet: Healthy Communication.
  2. Review the assignment directions with the class and review the refusal skills with students. Provide examples if needed.
  3. Option: Have students work individually to complete the worksheet.
    Option: Assign students to work in pairs to complete the worksheet.
  4. When students have completed their scenarios, ask for students to volunteer to share their responses.
  5. Review as a class the refusal skills that were used and how effective they were in getting the message across.

Challenge Activity

Have students needing additional challenge work on the following critical thinking task:

Knowing all the information you do about contraceptives and STDs, including HIV and AIDS, why do you think people still have unprotected anal, vaginal, and oral sex?

Reflection and Summary

Review the critical content from today’s lesson. Review the learning targets and ask students to answer each question posed.

Can you...

  • Identify how STDs are spread?

    By having unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who has an STD.

  • Discuss the best ways to prevent and reduce the risk of infection from an STD?

    The best way to prevent the risk of infections from an STD is by abstinence, and the best way to reduce the risk of infections from an STD is by consistent and correct use of external latex condoms, internal condoms, and dental dams.

  • Analyze why it is important for children to get the HPV shot?

    To help protect children from developing any of the cancers from HPV.

  • Recognize the short- and long-term consequences of STDs?

    Infecting others, becoming infertile, problems with pregnancy, getting or transmitting HIV, and developing other complication from an untreated STD.

  • Explain how HIV and AIDS are connected?

    HIV is the virus that causes AIDS.

  • Describe how HIV is transmitted and what it does to the immune system?

    HIV can be transmitted through blood, semen, preseminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids, and breast milk. For transmission to occur, these fluids must come in contact with a mucous membrane, such as inside the rectum, vagina, penis, mouth, or tissue that is open, such as an open wound, or be directly injected into the bloodstream by a needle.

    HIV attacks the immune system, which is the body’s natural defense against illness. The virus destroys the T-helper cell, which is a type of white blood cell in the immune system that helps to fight disease and infections.

  • Identify how PrEP, PEP, and ART are currently being used to reduce and treat HIV?

    PrEP is used to reduce the chances of getting HIV for groups at high risk of getting HIV. PEP should be used if someone thinks they may have come into contract with HIV. ART is used as a treatment for HIV.

Assessment

Complete one or more of the following assessment tasks for this lesson.

Take It Home

Talk to your guardian about whether you have received the HPV vaccination. If you have, ask why it was important for you to get it, and, if you haven’t, find out why you haven’t and if you are going to.